GoM gives nod to caste in Census 2011
Enumeration of castes in the ongoing Census process may now become a reality as the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, has given its assent.
Sources closely linked to the meeting of the GoM, which was held here late Wednesday evening, said caste enumeration would be taken up at the biometric stage of the Census. This stage, in which photographing, fingerprinting and iris-mapping of Indian residents will be done for the creation of a National Population Register (NPR), will begin some time early next year, they added.
The decision of the GoM will now be referred to the Union Cabinet to take a final call on the issue, the sources said, adding that the decision “today was unanimous”. After parties like the SP, RJD and JD(U) had demanded inclusion of caste in the Census during the second phase of the Budget Session, the government had promised on the floor of the Lok Sabha that it “would consider” the demand and take “appropriate action” shortly.
Later, in June, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up the GoM to look into the demand as consensus eluded the Union Cabinet on at least two occasions.
In its first meeting, on July 1, the GoM was divided over whether caste should be included. Mr Mukherjee then wrote to the various political parties to elicit their views on the issue. “The GoM discussed the response of the political parties and decided to recommend to the Cabinet to include caste in the ongoing Census exercise,” the sources said.
Besides Mr Mukherjee, the GoM includes Union ministers P. Chidambaram, M. Veerappa Moily, Kapil Sibal, Farooq Abdullah, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and Dayanidhi Maran.
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